What is the first thing that comes into your mind when you think of Poker Chips? It may be one, some or all of the following; Gambling, Wining, Risk, Wealth, Losing, Disappointment, Low self esteem and confidence. However if you ask a staff member here at Summit they will tell you it is about; Promoting Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence, it is about being a Talent Scout and Positive Reinforcement.

The DVD used is hosted by Richard Lavoie, a nationally known expert on learning disabilities and dealing with behavioral problems quickly and effectively. He explains how, if you can act as a ‘Talent Scout’ and identify what a child is good at, it is then your responsibility to give as much opportunity for the child to do that task as possible, and every time they do it you praise the child, you reinforce what a great job they have done, you congratulate them on doing it, you tell them how proud you are and how happy it makes you seeing them complete the task.  By adding to their stack of Poker Chips’ you are boosting their confidence and self esteem. He shares with his audience that children need Poker chips, they need a whole stack of them because every time they don’t get invited to a party, every time they don’t get picked for as sports team, each time they get teased at school they lose Poker Chips, their confidence takes a hit, their self esteem gets a little lower and they are more reluctant to ‘risk’ answering questions, to try and make friends or to try out for teams.

No one can deny that when you are tired at the at the end of the work day, when you  are rushing around in the morning trying to get everyone ready for the day or when your child has shouted at you and ‘stormed off’ to their room for the 5th time that day trying to give praise is HARD! However, yelling and shouting and telling the child they are stupid and you want them out of your sight is only going to take more Poker Chips away. As parents we need to identify strategies that can help us deal with these situations and do what we can to check ourselves and identify ways of minimizing the taking away of Poker Chips.

As Summit Staff it is not only our job, but also our goal, to give as many Poker Chips to our campers as possible during their time here. In doing this and continually focusing on their positive behavior, reinforcing their appropriate actions and praising them for their achievements and efforts we hope to assist you in giving these amazing children enough Poker Chips to take the risks, to be able to deal with the setbacks and to increase their self confidence so that they can walk through life with their head held high.

Summit Camp provides a summer camp experience for boys and girls, ages 7-17, who have issues of attention. These may include Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD and/or ADHD), Asperger’s syndrome, verbal or non-verbal learning disabilities, and/or mild social or emotional concerns. Some of our campers may also have Tourette’s syndrome, O.C.D., and /or mild mood issues. Summit Travel works with older children, ages 15-19, who have similar issues.